Koreans honour their princess of Ayodhya
By: Vinay Krishna Rastogi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucknow: A 15-member delegation from South Korea is currently in Ayodhya to revive the country’s 2,000-year-old link with the temple town.

South Korean history holds that a princess of Ayodhya — who they call the Great Princess of Ayodhya — was married to Korean king Suro in the first century AD.

This belief of the Koreans is to be used by lawyers in the ongoing Ayodhya case to prove that the city is in fact ancient.

R T Verma, counsel for the Hindu parties, said, “The discovery proves Ayodhya is an ancient religious city and disproves the claim to the contrary of the communists and Muslim parties.” The Ayodhya hearing resumes on Monday after the court’s Diwali vacation.

The Koreans believe that about 2,000 years ago, the then raja of Ayodhya had married off his 16-year-old daughter to the Korean king Suro. Suro was monarch of the then Kimhay kingdom, known today as Korea.

Interestingly, the Koreans believe that those who unified various Korean kingdoms in the 7th century AD were direct descendants of the Ayodhya princess. Since the first century AD, her descendants prospered and formed the largest clan in Korea – the Karak clan — whose members earned great distinction.

The current president of South Korea, Kim Dae-Jung, believes he is a descendant of the Great Princess of Ayodhya. He is a member of the Karak Clan Society, whose members say they are descendants of the queen.

The Ayodhya princess is regarded the most blessed queen of Korea in the last 2,000 years, and Koreans believe this could be due to the religious significance of the great temple city of Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born.

Yesterday, wreaths were placed in memory of the princess near the banks of the Sarayu by consul-general of the Embassy of Korea, Kim Myong-Jim, a Korean minister and other members of that country’s delegation. Korean musicians specially flown in played beautiful music, far from the political din of Lucknow.

On the occasion, the consul-general of Korea said, “I hope historians will be able to learn more about this great ancient Hindu city.”

He urged the former raja of Ayodhya, BPN Misra, to strengthen cultural ties between Ayodhya and South Korea. Mishra has been merely a titular king since princely states were abolished, but people still address him as raja.

According to the commissioner of the Faizabad division, the Government of India has decided to organise the Festival of Ayodhya to promote greater cultural ties between Ayodhya and the South Korean city of Kim Hae.

While I&#39;m very surprised to read this as a Korean, it&#39;s interesting and nice to know that Korea is somehow related to other Asian countries or kingdoms.
I&#39;ll take it with a grain of salt, however, with whatever Kim DaeJoong is saying ... very weird man lol.

Lee was found dead in a Japanese hotel room at the weekend, the association representing his family said on Tuesday. Japanese-born Lee, 73, had been the only surviving son of the last crown prince of the Chosun Dynasty, which ruled the Korean peninsula from 1392 to 1910. Lee died of an apparent heart attack, a statement from the association said.

#1:A South Korean woman cries in front of a portrait of Lee Ku, the last direct heir to the Korean throne, at a memorial before his funeral at Changduk palace, Seoul, July 21, 2005.
#2: South Korea's Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan attends a funeral for Lee Ku, the last direct heir to the throne of Korea's last dynasty, at the Changduk Palace in Seoul July 24, 2005.
#3: Crowds look at the funeral car during the funeral for Lee Ku, the last direct heir to the throne of Korea's last dynasty, at the Changduk Palace in Seoul July 24, 2005. A slice of Korea's royal history was revived on Sunday in a funeral for Lee Ku, who spoke almost no Korean and lived in obscurity in Japan. Lee died alone in a Japanese hotel room on July 16 and his body was transported to Seoul last week wrapped in a Korean national unity flag.
#4: Lee Ku (C), the last direct heir to the Korean throne, participates in the Grand Ancestral Rite in the Jongmyo, the main ancestral shrine of the Chosun Dynasty, in Seoul in this May, 2004 picture.
#5:Lee Ku (R), the last direct heir to the Korean throne, participates in the Grand Ancestral Rite in the Jongmyo, the main ancestral shrine of the Chosun Dynasty, in Seoul in this May, 2004 picture.
#6-7: Lee Won, an adopted son of Lee Ku, the last direct heir to the throne of Korea's last dynasty, attends the latter's funeral at the Changduk Palace in Seoul July 24, 2005.

#1: Photo taken in Seoul in November 1996 shows Lee Ku (R), the only son of the last crown prince of Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), who was found dead in a Japanese hotel on July 16, the Jeonju Lee Royal Family Members Foundation said on July 19. He was 74. Lee was born in 1931 as the second son of Crown Prince Lee Eun and the grandson of Emperor Gojong, the 26th monarch of Joseon who established the Daehan Empire.

#2:The keeper of the Imperial Yi (Chosun) Dynasty shrine looks out from its gate to watch a welcoming ceremony for Lee Ku, 65, the last heir of the dynasty who returned to Seoul from Japan 25 November, 1996. Lee Ku said that he would devote the rest of his life to unifying North and South Korea.

#3: Lee Ku, 65, the last heir to Korea's Ly (Chosun) Dynasty, emerges from the Seoul shrine of his ancestors, upon his return from Japan to Korea 25 November, 1996. Lee Ku, the childless son of Prince Yongchin, said that he would devote the rest of his life to unifying North and South Korea.
From newscom

Mr.Lee Won(R), an adopted son of Lee Ku, the last direct heir to the throne of Korea's last dynasty, attends the latter's funeral at the Changduk Palace in Seoul, Sunday 24 July 2005.
Photo from newscom

Was his ex-wife, HIH Princess Julia Lee of Korea, in attendance at the funeral? I had heard that it was unsure if she would attend due to health reasons. Does anyone know if she did attend? And, if she was there, were there any photographs of her at the funeral ceremony? Thanks.

I looked at that post, and I read the article, and it does not say whether or not she was there.

My apologies bct88!
I read on the ARMB there were reports Julia watched the funeral procession "from the sidelines", but without photos it is hard to determine whether this is true, or wishful thinking, or if it means she just watched it on TV. Sorry I can't help further.
.